Senior Counsel
Rich's practice involves virtually all aspects of intellectual property law, with a particular emphasis on district court patent litigation, inter partes reviews (IPR) at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), due diligence investigations, and opinion matters. He works closely with clients in a variety of technologies to develop and execute strategies that best obtain, protect, and enforce their intellectual property.
Rich has extensive litigation experience and has had key responsibilities in federal district court cases, from the initial pleading stage through discovery, motions, claim construction, and trial. Much of his litigation practice involves complex and significant patent infringement disputes. He has held lead roles in Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) litigations for blockbuster pharmaceuticals and has a keen understanding of the interplay of the Hatch-Waxman Act, the patent laws, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules. Over the past few years, Rich has represented petitioners and patent owners in over a dozen IPRs involving commercially important vaccines and pharmaceuticals.
Rich has a robust and sophisticated opinion and due diligence practice involving a wide range of technologies, with a specific focus in the pharmaceutical and chemical areas. He has rendered countless opinions on complex patent validity, enforceability, and infringement questions. Many of these opinions were in anticipation of litigation, or as part of mergers, acquisitions, due diligence investigations, patent portfolio assessments and development, or licensing opportunities.
Rich frequently lectures on patent protection and litigation, especially opinion and due diligence practice, and the American Invents Act (AIA). He has chaired and lectured various meetings and programs hosted by organizations, including the Practice Resources Group, Managing Intellectual Property (MIP), Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the Hildebrandt Institute, the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), CEC Fortune 500 Conference, and the Southwestern Legal Foundation.
Rich has held numerous management and leadership roles in the firm. He served as the firm's chairman, following his tenure as managing partner. He has been a member of both the management and compensation committees, and he led the firms chemical practice group for two terms. Currently, Rich serves as Finnegan's Loss Prevention Counsel, focusing on ethics, conflicts, and loss prevention issues.
Certain Sulfentrazone, Sulfentrazone Compositions, and Processes for Making Sulfentrazone
Defended two Chinese agro-chemical companies, defeating a petition for a temporary exclusion order and prevailing at trial, holding the patent invalid and not infringed.
337-TA-914, ITC, Judge Lord
Cephalon, Inc. v. Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries, Inc.
3:11-cv-05474, D.N.J., Judges Arpert, Shipp, Wolfson
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. v. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA
IPR2018-01229, -01234, -01236, -01237; IPR2019-00230, -00241, PTAB, Judges Snedden, Kokoski, Smith
Pfenex Inc. v. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA
IPR2019-01027, -01028, PTAB
1:90-cv-07515, N.D. Ill., Judge Rovner
W.R. Grace & Co. v. Viskase Corp.
1:90-cv-05383, N.D. Ill., Judge Conlon
Conference
Paragraph IV Disputes Master Symposium Paragraph IV Disputes Master Symposium
September 19-20, 2016
Chicago
Lecture
The Fourth Annual China IP Forum The Fourth Annual China IP Forum
January 10-11, 2014
Beijing
Panel Discussion
Intellectual Property Throughout the Drug Development Lifecycle: Opportunities and Challenges Intellectual Property Throughout the Drug Development Lifecycle: Opportunities and Challenges
July 17, 2012
Washington
Event
Outsourcing Drug Discovery: Partnership and Licensing Tactics Outsourcing Drug Discovery: Partnership and Licensing Tactics
May 9-10, 2012
Philadelphia
Articles
Challenges Facing Chinese Companies Exporting to the United States Challenges Facing Chinese Companies Exporting to the United States
January 5, 2012
Imp-Exp Executive MagazineAward/Ranking
Finnegan Ranks at the Top of the Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars Rankings Finnegan Ranks at the Top of the Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars Rankings
June 28, 2024
Managing Intellectual PropertyPress Release
Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars: Finnegan Scores Top Patent Rankings Across the Board Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars: Finnegan Scores Top Patent Rankings Across the Board
July 13, 2023
Managing Intellectual PropertyPress Release
29 Finnegan Attorneys Ranked by Best Lawyers 29 Finnegan Attorneys Ranked by Best Lawyers
August 18, 2022
U.S. News—Best LawyersPress Release
Twenty Finnegan Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers Twenty Finnegan Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers
August 20, 2021
U.S. News—Best LawyersAnnouncement
Best Lawyers Recognizes 21 Finnegan Attorneys Best Lawyers Recognizes 21 Finnegan Attorneys
August 28, 2020
Press Release
31 Finnegan Attorneys Named Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars 31 Finnegan Attorneys Named Managing Intellectual Property IP Stars
May 4, 2020
Managing Intellectual PropertyDue to international data regulations, we’ve updated our privacy policy. Click here to read our privacy policy in full.
We use cookies on this website to provide you with the best user experience. By accepting cookies, you agree to our use of cookies. Please note that if you opt not to accept or if you disable cookies, the “Your Finnegan” feature on this website will be disabled as well. For more information on how we use cookies, please see our Privacy Policy.
Finnegan is thrilled to announce the launch of our new blog, Ad Law Buzz, devoted solely to breaking news, developments, trends, and analysis in advertising law.